Moretta Fenton Beall Reilly

Moretta Fenton Beall (Molly) Reilly was born in Lindsay, Ontario, on February 25, 1922, and educated there. She joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, Women's Division, in 1942 as a photographer and served in Canada as a Non-commissioned Officer until 1946.

She undertook flying instruction in Toronto, Ontario in 1944, and graduated with her Commercial Licence two years later. She used her military re-establishment credit to gain an instructor's rating in 1948. During her training she won the runner-up award in the national Webster Trophy competition against a formidable field of male pilots. Leavens Brothers Air Services in Toronto hired her as an instructor and charter pilot in 1948, then granted her leave to complete an advanced instrument flying course at Spartan School of Aeronautics at Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.A. After graduation she qualified for her Canadian Public Transport Pilot Licence.

Within three years Reilly had earned her twin-engine aircraft rating, completed a floatplane flying course at Port Alberni Airways School in BC, then went to England to earn a British Commercial Pilot's Licence. In 1954 she became Chief Flying Instructor and charter pilot with Canadian Aircraft Renters at Toronto. During the next three years she upgraded her skills to earn a Class 1 Instrument Rating and Airline Transport Pilot Licence. She is believed to be the first woman in Canada to hold these qualifications. She won a promotion to Captain against professional male competition in the Company's subsidiary, Southern Provincial Airlines, and became qualified to fly Douglas DC-3's, Lockheed Lodestars and twin Beech aircraft. She then assisted in the development and operation of their highly regarded air ambulance service throughout Eastern Canada.

In 1959 she was hired by Peter Bawden Drilling Services of Calgary, Alberta. Here she joined her husband, 'Jack' Reilly, as co-captain of a Douglas DC-3 flying to most of the major oil fields in western and northern Canada, and throughout the United States. She remained in this position for five years. During this period of intense air activity in the Arctic regions, she piloted company aircraft on runs to Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit) and Resolute Bay and other northern centres, through extended periods of darkness and extreme weather conditions, often without radio communication or navigational aids.

In 1965 Reilly joined Canadian Coachways of Edmonton, Alberta, and when Canadian Utilities absorbed that company several years later, she was named Chief Pilot. She was now qualified to fly a Beechcraft Duke, a sophisticated, pressurized, radar-equipped, all-weather twin-engine aircraft throughout North America. She had modifications made as necessary to improve the Duke for use in the Arctic, and received a personal commendation from Beechcraft Chairman, Mrs. Olive A. Beech.

'Molly' Reilly completed over 10,000 hours as pilot-in-command, all accident free. She died in Edmonton on November 24, 1980.

Even pregnancy did not stop Molly Reilly. Jack remembered, "In those days there was no pair maternity leave, and the guys would look askance at a pregnant crew member. I don't think there was anything written, but we kept the first one a secret." Molly and Jack Reilly flew many trips together. According to Jack "Each recognized the others ability. We had no trouble flying together, and when we got home, we closed the hangar doors."

Moretta Fenton Beall 'Molly' Reilly was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.